Hmmm, this seems like a plug, and that site has no listings at all in the first 3 cities I searched.
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Only 6 bookings in ~18 months?
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They look new, but I just registered and I have to tell they have an amazing backendâŚ
Really, you joined to tell us that? This isnât Grindr, this is airhosts forum.
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Yep. Thatâs 4 more than I received from TripAdvisor this year. And pretty cool for a site that I donât pay for and doesnât allow my guests to get full refunds for being sick. You should join!
But I know, a lot are waiting around to do anything about their situation but complaining of ABB policies and they will begin to take a full commission.
Yes, the back end is amazing!! Please join the Say Yes to Houfy group if you have not already! Thatâs all where all the customer service and discussion goes on.
Looks like someone is having a bad dayâŚ
And obviously you know nothing about Houfy. Then again, this is coming from someone who promotes their ABB listing on their marketing materials⌠SighâŚ
I am using Houfy and I love it. I have just received my 11th booking via them. It was a very easy process to import my listing and get verified. The support is fantastic and there is a great FB page full of ideas and help to write stories and guides to promote your listing.
Yes, you have to promote yourself. Iâm happy to do that. I would rather put in a bit of time to promote myself than give control of my property to an OTA.
I take my own payments. It is working so well.
I hope others consider joining.
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Exactly! And later down the road, people will actually start to type âHoufyâ into finding a place when they realize they donât have to pay booking fees. Thatâs the difficult part for many to comprehend. Right now, a few people are spreading the word about this wonderful book direct site.
Obviously, this forum is filled with complaints of people saying how ABB, Vrbo, booking .com is taking more control. And it will only get worse.
Thatâs why I am working towards something where that control doesnât take place. People can laugh all they want, while they cry about control policies. SighâŚ
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I keep an eye Houfy, but Iâm taking a wait-and-see approach and hereâs why:
For me, the ROI seems small for creating a listing and dealing with all of the administrative tasks that are pushed to the host. The work is probably a lot less for a host already on several platforms and the return is probably higher for a host that needs a lot more booking.
As you mentioned, the current model is not sustainable or scalable. It looks to me like Houfyâs âownersâ are simply looking for somebody to buy it from them, in which case expect big changes afterward so the buyer can get a return on investment. But if nobody buys it, then Houfy will still be forced to make big changes.
I donât trust the security of a free service with no accountability.
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You knowâŚeither one is happy with ABB, Vrbo, Booking .com taking more control, or putting the control in their own hands. Thatâs it. If you donât rely on the OTAâs then I could see a different approach. I wonât waste my time defending the owners, etc. or your speculations. You are welcome to join Houfy or not.
All I know is that this forum and other forums are filled with complaints of âcontrolâ being taken away. If you have a better solution than Houfy, then join the forum and add some constructive criticism.
What is your solution? I donât see you offering one at all. What I see most from owners is that they will sell their properties the minute that the OTA doesnât meet their needs. Maybe thatâs what people are about these days. Just list and book. SoâŚwhy even complain?
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And @Brian_R170 - take notes from my story. These forums are filled with people asking âwhere is this next site to save me from ABBâ? I wonât argue with you though.
BTW - Since you donât keep up on Houfy, here - you can keep on your wait and see approach. And just know, if you want change in the industryâŚyour wait and see only will make that change happen later. So no need to wait on others. Either you are part of the action, or you wait to benefit from others.
I had the same suggestion - use Google Voice. You sign up for a gmail account then request a google voice number. It gets tied to your existing phone number so no one ever sees your real number -google forwards calls and texts to the ânewâ number, and you can initiate calls from the new number. Only down side is sometimes the sound quality is crap. I have mine set up to only go to voice mail, then I return the call when convenient.
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I will just add in here that the say yes to Houfy group is very supportive and friendly and there are numerous direct bookings coming down the way to a lot of those folks. My soccer players from Real Madrid came through Houfy:)
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@cabinhost I use a lot of services that Iâm not carrying on about on this forum. The way Houfy has been presented on this forum makes it seem like some kind of multi-level marketing scheme. Why go on and on about it? Do you get some kind of bonus or payment? 
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Why are you even asking about it? lol. Ignore another alternative JJD. And carry on with your regular sites. Better yet, read all the posts about Vrbo and booking .com and the real schemes. Thereâs tons of posts to choose from about hosting.
Sure. But no one is pushing those sites, just discussing them. Why would I care if someone uses a certain site? I donât. BecauseâŚwait for itâŚI donât get anything out of someone using a certain site. Houfy really comes across like a scheme because the âusersâ of it come onto forums and use sales-pitches. But I digress. Letâs get back to my question that you didnât answer.
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Actually, youâre just making up Stories JJD. No one is pushing anything. Houfy is free. Use it or ignore it. Itâs up for discussion, no different than any other site or service that is discussed on this forum.
And actually I have seen services here promoted in the past where the owner Pierre is on here and everyone was ooing and loved it. and other services promoted by the owners. And guess what? They were all paid services. And nothing wrong with that. Anything that is helpful to a host should be discussed.
If you donât like Houfy, then ignore it.